March 8, 2006

I couldn't be more frazzled. But I'm also really excited about the "Project Runway" finale. That quote in the title is from Santino, but he is the first to be eliminated. He didn't show enough of himself. And, in fact, as we saw, he made a strategic decision to rein himself in on this collection. And they blamed him for that.

So it's between Daniel and Chloe. And it's Chloe! She really understands women. I think that cool thing with the pockets that Diana helped her do made the difference.

23 comments:

I must say, after watching the final episode I feel sort of, well, let down. Santino had such a fresh and unique viewpoint, and Daniel had such amazing taste that was evident throughout the entire series, challenge after challenge. While Chloe was a great designer, I can't say that I was ever drawn into her work. Was Chloe anybody's favorite designer going into Fashion Week? Or, was anybody cheering for her to win? I cannot say that I fit in either category.

It was a best decision to make her the winner. The last winner was a guy who turned down all prizes, including a chance to help Banana Republic. Now she can help the company. She is also an Asian-American, which is a good story for next great American designer. All judges esp. Kors refer to her as someone "who is women friendly". She has business sense,which is critical.

Thus, the best decision.

Santino played it safe, and Daniel overemphasised his predicatable collection. There was no competition. Chloe had it in the bag from the beginning. She in fact said during the show - "I felt that I have won it."

Yeah, I feel that letdown. It just seems like Chloe was the one left after they rejected the other two. Nobody, really, was good enough. I'd like to see designers make things that real women could wear on normal days. Chloe's stuff seems to be all about events that never happen for normal women. We really need things to wear, and you are irrelevant. Could any of these people make something I could wear to work? Or on a Saturday? What are these clothes? At least Daniel tried to make something real.

This is bound to sound snarky, but why would America's "best new designer" devote herself to clothing normal women would wear to work? I don't get that as a criteria at all. That's like going to the Whitney and complaining that nothing would look right in your living room.

Daniel was too clever by half, Chloe's were much uglier than anything she produced during the show (olive and fuscia? blech), whereas Santino's were some of the most beautiful things I've seen yet. Palette, fabrics, cohesion - I think he blew them out of the water.

Even using Ann's criteria, if I had to choose something to wear from any of their collections, Santino would win by a mile.

Adam: I still think that making a lot of evening wear is a cop out. Daniel at least gave the impression of making real clothes. And they gave Chloe credit for somehow understanding women. So where is the logic?

(Haven't seen it yet, so just a brief comment) I think also there may be a sense that both Daniel and Santino have made enough of an impression on the viewing public that they will be successful in fashion even without winning the top prize. Obviously they are talented -- did they really need the big boost that winning would give them, after all the publicity they've already had? Are we really supposed to believe that they'll have a tough time making their way after the work they've done?

The first thing that Chloe put on the runway was so awful and hideous. This enormous puff sleeved 80s prom dress. Gross! Hideous. I thought there was an insane amount of taffeta in her collection as well.

The judges made the right choice. Chloe's construction was far superior to both Daniel's and Santino's. Her collection seemed more haute couture than the other two. Santino certainly didn't live up to his potential. Nothing about his collection impressed me. It lacked innovation, construction (judges were right to point out the poor fit of his garments especially re the boobies not being in the right places), and cohesion. I'm not sure if other posters were watching the same show. I thought Chloe's collection moved really well on the runway and the cut of her garments was very flattering. I loved the teal gown that Grace was wearing (if made in white or ivory, it would make a beautiful wedding gown) and the 13th garment that Diana made was fun and young (I would wear it). All in all, it was the detail, construction and fit of her garments that won the competition for Chloe.

It was a best decision to make her the winner. The last winner was a guy who turned down all prizes, including a chance to help Banana Republic. Now she can help the company.Don't be so sure. EOnline quoted the AP as saying she was staying in Houston and expanding Lot8 with her winnings. I love the Laotian refugee story and wish her all the best.

The "understand women" comment is based, IMO, on the fact that her clothes fit well and complement the woman wearing them (this was true throughout the competition). Santino, on the other hand, admitted he hadn't fitted his garments to a woman, and it showed. I did think he got the raw end of the deal when they dump on his extravagance and creativity the whole competition and then dismiss him at the end for being "safe." It's such a stupid thing to say. It means, "you didn't live up to my personal expectations of you" not "your clothes aren't beautiful" and it doesn't matter if Nina's personal expectations of "what Santino will make" are wildly deluded. Honestly, if Daniel had switched lines with Santino, Daniel would've won, because they would've loved them. It just seems a little arbitrary to yell "calm down, calm down" the whole time and at the end say "that's too calm."

Last time there were two girls and a guy, and the guy won. This time, two guys and a girl, and the girl won. Interesting.

David - I agree about season one being better. The runway show felt like great theater last year. They all managed to create a mood, whatever one happened to think of it.

I still think Daniel V. was the weakest. When Tim visited, he made a big point of mentioning that steps 1-9 are a breeze, but the kicker was the detail work of step 10. Daniel left that all dangling. I would have been really annoyed if he had won. The dress they liked best was thanks to Nick, after all. (I also can't help but wonder how many hems and button holes Nick sewed for him.)

Chloe was able to be articulate about her collection, whereas Daniel just kept telling us how much he loved his work. He's been to school - he's got to know that doesn't cut it. The bags were neither Japanese nor military - he just thought they were neat, so they went in the show. (Or did rivet=military?) It's as if they all needed one more hardcore crit when they still had time to use the input.

I found the blog of this show interesting, see Tim's comment on Santino http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway_2/Episodes/Episode_14/Tims_Take/blog5.shtml. I think all the time Nina said to Santino - it needs editing, yet again.

I rewatched the finale, which I was too tired to watch very well on Wednesday night, and I'm reminded again how awful I though many of Chloe's dresses were. I listened to Tim's podcasts about the finale, and he puts it well. She had this weirdly stiff, heavy silk that seemed welded together. I really disliked the first one, that puffy pink thing. Didn't Santino say something like "it's like a couch is coming at you"? I liked Daniel best in part because he wasn't lost in evening fantasy-wear. I like to see some relation to real life -- wearability. Chloe got a lot of credit in the end for "understanding women" or "understanding women's bodies," but I think that really only referred to the fact that her clothes were more competently fitted, not that they were things women could or would wear. Santino's clothes seemed like negligees. They looked comfortable but in a way that is so easy to achieve that it proves nothing about him.